Obviate
by Links6
Summary: After a fight with Chuuya, Atsushi makes his way home alone and realizes that accepting the fate of being cursed to be alone forever is harder this time than any time before...


**Obviate**

( _v) to minimize problems through counter-measures or effective planning._

Atsushi always knew the day would come.

No matter how much he wished it wouldn't.

It was inevitable.

A fact of life.

It would happen, and he'd end up alone once more.

It was his fate. Has always been. To end up alone.

During their mission, he and Chuuya had disagreed on how to handle the case. Not just on which actions to take, but on moral grounds, they differed.

So, Atsushi knew. That was it. This was as far as it could go.

He'd been grateful for the time given to him. To be with Chuuya for over a year was something he'd be eternally grateful for. It was a gift he never thought he'd ever be able to experience... it was nice while it lasted.

His feet dragged as he made his way home alone.

Chuuya had left quite some time ago. Taken his keys and left.

The young man accepted it.

A touch of disappointment made its way into his thoughts, but he would not let it consume him. The mission would still continue tomorrow and he needed to be in his best form in order to continue.

So, he squared his shoulders as he walked and kept going.

The road home felt so much longer than usual.

Colder, as well, as if spring had taken absence.

But, this was fine.

He will be fine.

He had always been fine.

He made his way up the steps, his footsteps suddenly so loud and echoeing against the empty hallway. It had been quite some time since he's made his way home alone. Without Chuuya it was so quiet.

Without Chuuya Nakahara.

He sighed deeply and stopped in front of their – his door. He sighed once more.

He could always apologize, but that would mean giving in. He wasn't willing to compromise his values. He loved Chuuya, truly, with all his heart... but he couldn't do that.

So, he jut his key into place and turned it sharply, a spark of anger and disappointment making its way to the surface.

He stepped inside, finding the lights off and the house quiet.

The hallway was empty. The living room was empty. The kitchen was empty.

Yet..

There was a plate, loaded with vegetables, rice and steak, sitting on the table, a note upon it.

 _Make sure to eat something._

The note made his heart clench.

This would be the last thing he would ever receive from the older male. A note... a reminder to take care of himself...

A choked sob forced itself from his throat, he winced at the sound. He ducked his head into his shirt and scrubbed furiously at his face. But, it seemed his eyes and body had already made their choice. The flow of tears didn't ebb, the more he rubbed at his eyes, the worse it became.

He coughed, growled in annoyance at his own state.

"Atsushi?" a concerned whisper sounds from behind him.

Not for a moment did the young man entertain the thought that it was real. He wouldn't let himself retort to denial. He needed to accept reality. He needed to move on. He needed …

"Oi, are you hurt?" the concerned voice sounds next to him, warmth surrounding the young man and pressure around him increasing as he tries to convince himself to _stop_ lying to himself.

"Atsushi..?"

The pressure around Atsushi increased and he dropped his arms to his sides, intent on ridding himself of his own delusion.

Except...

"Hey, are you okay?" it was Chuuya. The Port Mafia Executive gently turned him until they were face to face. It was the red-head that, once more, hugged him tightly as he rested his chin upon Atsushi's shoulder, "Talk to me..."

"Y... you... you left. " Atsushi says, his voice hoarse and strained and tainted with pain as he forced himself to continue, "When... ?"

 _When are you going to leave me behind?_

It didn't need to be said.

"So... ?" Chuuya said, a confused expression graced his handsome features as he separated himself from the young man. The grip the executive had on Atsushi's hips were unwavering though, holding fast as if the were-tiger were about to run away, "I was up since three, I came home earlier to catch up on some sleep. Did you think I left?"

"N... " the words get caught up in Atsushi's throat.

 _Not yet. I'm not leaving yet. Isn't that what you meant to say?_

"I'm not leaving at all," Chuuya said and softly brushed his fingers against Atsushi's chin, "Oi, look at me."

The sunset hues brimmed with tears lift up to meet Chuuya's own and he felt, just as he has every time they did, his heart stop for a moment. He smiled, hoping his concern would find its way to Atsushi's ears, "Is this about this afternoon?"

The young man was quite an enigma in himself though. He had started smiling. He smiled, in order to make the whole ordeal less painful, "Chuuya _-san..._ "

The simple formal address of his name made the Port Mafia executive instinctively sparks annoyance within him.

"You.. you don't need to worry about me," Atsushi insisted, his eyes shifted to the side as he smiled softly. He was convinced still that this had simply been a way for Chuuya to make the ending less painful for him, "I'll be alright. I know... I...".

And there it was. A year of stability. A year of joy. A year of bliss. All it had done was cover the ingrained insecurity with a veneer of false confidence.

"Oi," a warning growl was emitted from the taller male, both hands now on the sides of the young Jinko's face, "Really? We're together a year and one fight causes this?"

The words, meant to be used to jolt the other out of his own spiral of darkness, did quite the opposite than what the Corruption user had intended...

The rush of emotion caused the young man to shrink in on himself, he tried to brush his hair out of his face only to end up with pulling at his own hair in frustration, his tears unstopping.

It didn't deter the older man. He simply sighed, wrapped his arms around the young man and gave all his strength to the gesture, "Atsushi-kun. If I didn't love you," Chuuya started, guilt twisting at his stomach due to his own choice of words once he felt the young man wince in his arms, "...I wouldn't have fought with you..."

The words suddenly stilled the young man.

"If I didn't care for you, I would have left things as they were and never bothered to argue," Chuuya said, a chuckle of relief escaped from him inadvertently, "You're the first person I've ever _wanted_ to fight with..."

The strange confession made Atsushi's heartbeat jump, warmth suddenly flowed through his veins once more and the affectionate nuzzle into his hair made him giggle.

"Come on, I know it's not your favourite but you never even ate lunch, did you? Don't let my cooking go to waste," Chuuya warned and stepped away, he took Atsushi's hand as naturally a breathing, led him to the table and guided him into the chair, "And to make up for waking me from my beauty sleep, I expect at _least_ two goodnight kisses."

"Two?" Atsushi scoffed and looked up, only to get caught up in the same gesture that Chuuya had been speaking of moments before.

"And that one didn't count," Chuuya replied airily and looked over with a playful grin, he pulled the other chair closer until it was next to Atsushi before he sat down. He yawned lazily and stretched out before he turned sideways in his chair and promptly shuffled down until he was resting his head on Atsushi's lap, "... Don't mind me."

"Ch-Chuuya-sa..." Atsushi paused, decidedly correcting himself before continuing, "Chuuya..." he finally whined, his face flushed in embarrassment.

"How else should I make sure you don't run away while I'm sleeping?" Chuuya stated and lazily closed his eyes, "Wake me up when you're ready to go to bed... I get a feeling two goodnight kisses won't be enough to make up for calling me 'Chuuya-san'..."

"Then what else should I call you?" Atsushi countered as he took a big bite of the dinner that Chuuya had cooked for them. He felt so much better. So much lighter. So much..

"With the exception of 'Chuuya-san'," the red-head replied, face creased in thought for a moment before grinning happily, "What ever you want to, kitty cat..."

The absolute flush of red that now settles itself from the tips of the ears of his boyfriend right down to his neck was something Chuuya Nakahara could never get tired of. He laughed happily at the reaction and sighed contently before closing his eyes. He knew he could rest easy now. Atsushi was taken care of and content, and that's all the older male needed to be able to sleep comfortably.


End file.
